Where was the gun policy in Trump’s NRA speech?

President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks at the National Rifle Association-ILA Leadership Forum, Friday, April 28, 2017, in Atlanta. Mike Stewart | AP Photo

President Donald Trump just wrapped up a historic speech before the NRA convention without mentioning a single legislative proposal on gun policy.

“No longer will federal agencies be coming after law-abiding gun owners. No longer will the government be trying to undermine your rights and freedoms as Americans,” the president told an enthusiastic audience in Atlanta, Ga.

There was no mention, however, of federal efforts led by the president to repeal Second Amendment-infringing gun restrictions. Trump did take time to ask Atlanta voters to vote for Karen Handel in the upcoming runoff for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, to revisit his Election Night victory, and make vague assurances about never letting anyone in the audience down.

I heard literally zero about gun policy in that entire NRA speech, but lots about how awesome Trump was

During the campaign, President Trump vowed to strongly support gun rights.

“The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans,” read Donald Trump’s official campaign policy position on the right to bear arms. “The Constitution doesn’t create that right — it ensures that the government can’t take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.”

Notably absent from the president’s NRA convention speech was any mention of progress toward fulfilling his campaign promise to implement national concealed carry reciprocity. In that same campaign document, Mr. Trump said that concealed carry permits should work just like a driver’s license:

“A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.”

As the first 100 days of President Trump’s presidency comes to a close, the Trump administration and Congress have yet to deliver on any of the big legislative agenda items Republicans have talked about for years. Obamacare remains the law of the land, tax reform is still under negotiation, and there is no action on the horizon on the Second Amendment.

Despite the legislative setbacks, the president struck an optimistic tone with the NRA audience. “I will never, ever let you down,” he said.

Editor’s note: This piece has been updated to correct typos.

Author: Chris Pandolfo

Chris Pandolfo is a staff writer and type-shouter for Conservative Review. He holds a B.A. in politics and economics from Hillsdale College. His interests are conservative political philosophy, the American founding, and progressive rock. Follow him on Twitter for doom-saying and great album recommendations @ChrisCPandolfo.